After fifteen games, the Ducks are 6-7-2 and are lately have been improving each game. The off season aquisition of Saku Koivu has not lived up to expectations as of yet, but the feisty center has a while for that to change. Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf seem to be in mid-season form, and are carrying this team on their backs.

Helping them out is goaltender Jonas Hiller. He's 6-5-1 with a 2.76 GAA and and .919 save percentage. The twenty seven year old has secured the number one position in Anaheim, and does not look as if he intends on giving it up anytime soon. So where does that leave JS Giguere? He has had four starts, finished three of them and has a 3.64 GAA coupled with a save percentage of .895. Not even close to the worth of his six million dollar cap hit for the next two seasons.

With Hiller in the number one spot, and youngster Justin Pogge waiting for his shot, what should the Ducks do with Giguere? First option is a trade, but as I said earlier, that cap hit will be tough to move. The only team who may be desperate for a goalie would be the Carolina Hurricanes, who lost Cam Ward for at least a month with a severe cut in the leg/groin area. The problem is that Carolina doesn't have the cap space to aquire Giguere, assuming they are interested, and would have to move salary towards Anaheim's way. It would seem like a bit of a stretch, especiall for a bottom five team looking to replace their star goalie for a month or two. The next option, and one that the Ducks should seriously consider, is a buyout. It would be an ugly move by management, but a necessary one in my opinion. They have to get him off the books and move on from that nightmare of a contract. Giguere gave the Ducks their first and only Stanley Cup, and they should forever be greatful for that, but the time has come to cut ties with him.

With Teemu Selanne, Saku Koivu, and Scott Niedermayer, most likely retiring after the season, this is the last chance in a while that the Ducks will have the opportunity to make a move in the playoffs, and getting rid of that contract can land a key player to help them achieve that goal.